Anti-Undercover Recording Law Proposed

by Jeff Schuman, jschuman@k2tv.com

Less than a year after a Wheatland pig farm was accused of animal cruelty, a Campbell County representative has been introduced a bill that would criminalize those who go undercover to try and expose any kind of abuse.

The measure would not apply to anyone who knows animal cruelty is occurring and reports it within 48 hours.

The bill's sponsor, Rep. Sue Wallis, (R)-Campbell, says she believes many of the videos purported to show cruelty are staged by the people shooting them.

Meanwhile, the Humane Society of the United States strongly opposes the bill. In a press release, the organization says that whistleblower suppression bills show just how much factory farms have to hide. It also brings up constitutional questions about whether the bill infringes on first amendment rights.